Luis Suárez lifts Messi-less Inter Miami: “It was perfect”

Fatigue and injury concerns kept Lionel Messi back home in South Florida. But pink Inter Miami CF jerseys still dotted the crowd on Saturday's sunny spring afternoon at Audi Field, splashes of tropical color interspersed with flashes of FC Barcelona blaugrana amidst the home faithful’s ranks of black and red.



Both the action on the pitch and the split allegiance of the packed stadium soon confirmed it: Even when the GOAT is resting, the Herons remain star-studded, a box-office phenomenon wherever they go. If D.C. United thought Messi’s absence gave them an opening to extend their unbeaten start to the season, Luis Suárez and Leonardo Campana were ready and waiting to slam that door shut in an impressive 3-1 comeback win for a Miami side less than 72 hours removed from a key Concacaf Champions Cup advancement past Nashville SC.

“This was a big one,” said Miami’s Julian Gressel. “Short rest, tough week, tough two weeks. Not an easy game, obviously, midweek and then to have to travel on a short rest in this league is not easy. And to come here after going down 1-0 as well, and being able to fight back and ultimately play really well, I thought, after the first 15-20 minutes, to come away with the win and get the three points without Leo is something that I think we can take a lot from.

Tres puntos importantes! 👊🏼

A seguir @InterMiamiCF! 🩷 pic.twitter.com/zbs4WBiSBp

— Luis Suárez (@LuisSuarez9) March 16, 2024